James Kallas – författare

"e;It is not--it cannot be--a case of either/or."e;Why have different denominations--all leaning on the Bible--emerged with different emphases? Differing views of sin, of man, of Christ and his work, of the nature and purpose of the church, all seem to be in head-on opposition . . . until the author explains how these opposites are held together in tension. Each of the views is true--but each, by itself, is incomplete. Three basic concepts of sin (Is it rebellion, guilt, bondage--or all three?) lead to the concepts that man must be either a rebel or a slave. The person and work of Christ must also be seen in different ways. Either Jesus came to turn man away from his rebellious ways or he came mainly to atone for man's guilt. Or did he come to rescue man who was helplessly in bondage?For the first time in many centuries, Christians of different faiths are coming together as brothers. Should we seek the lowest common denominator, ignoring our differences, in the quest for unity? The author sees a real threat in trying to choose "e;either/or."e; "e;The different denominations need each other,"e; he emphasizes, "e;but they need each other as different denominations."e;

In this book James Kallas analyzes the four most popular ways in which Christians have dealt with the book of Revelation. He agrees in part with those who espouse the "e;end of history"e; view, conceding that the epistle is futuristic in its confession of the hope of Christ's return, but denying that it is only a discussion of the last days of the world. He repudiates as unscriptural and blasphemous the "e;all of history"e; view which uses the book to calculate specific timetables of human events. Underscoring the timeless character of God's promises to his suffering people, a premise of the "e;above history"e; view, Kallas emphasizes that the Word is addressed to all men of all times. He fully confirms the "e;in that history"e; view which stressed that Revelation must first be understood in terms of its original readers--the Christians of Asia Minor--and its historical background. Documenting his conclusions with biblical and historical examples, Kallas reviews the origins and style of apocalyptic writing. He explains that the theme of such literature, the conflict between God and Satan on a massive scale, was produced by the despair of God's people in troubled times. He discusses the immediate purpose of Revelation, describing its symbolic language as a camouflaged message of hope from an imprisoned apostle to Christians suffering severe persecution at the hands of Rome. Only then does he carefully evaluate John's message for Christians today.